NIGERIA: MEET DR. NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA THE NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)
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| Dr. Okonjo-Iweala |
The World Trade Organization on Monday officially
selected Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist and former finance Minister,
to be its next leader. The
first woman and first African to serve as Director General, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala will assume the post on March 1
for a renewable term expiring on Aug. 31, 2025 according to the new york
times website.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said in a statement that she was
honored to have been selected and would work with the organization’s member
countries to address health issues brought about by the pandemic and “get the
global economy going again.” And she explained that « trade is important
for the 21st century, it is important for prosperity, it is
important for resilience, it is important for sustainable growth and WTO is
right at heart of this. “A strong W.T.O. is vital if we are to recover fully
and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, our
organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can
collectively make the W.T.O. stronger, more agile and better adapted to the
realities of today.” Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala takes the helm of the W.T.O. at a
particularly difficult time for the global trade body, which was created in
1995 to help settle trade disputes, write new trade rules and encourage the
flow of goods and services worldwide.
In an acceptance speech given by video link to a
mostly empty meeting room in the W.T.O.’s headquarters on Lake Geneva in
Switzerland, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged those challenges but struck a
hopeful note about how her leadership could help build a stronger, more
relevant and more inclusive trading system.
“It’s been a long and tough road, full of uncertainty,
but now it’s the dawn of a new day and the real work can begin,” she said. “The
challenges facing the W.T.O. are numerous and tricky, but they are not
insurmountable.”
In a news conference with reporters on Monday, Dr.
Okonjo-Iweala said her initial priorities would include working with other
international organizations to create lasting rules for responding to pandemics
and making progress in two negotiations over fishery subsidies and digital
trade.
The W.T.O.’s General Council, which includes
representatives from all of the group’s 164 member countries, agreed in a
meeting on Monday that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala should be the next Director General.
As with many of its other decisions, the organization was required to reach a
consensus on the appointment, meaning no member country could object to the
choice.
The organization’s former Director General, Roberto
Azevêdo of Brazil, left his post in August after announcing in May that
he would be departing one year early. The members of the W.T.O. then considered
eight candidates for the position.
By October, most countries had announced their support
for Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.
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